The Third 21st Century Maritime Silk Road China (Guangdong) International Communication Forum officially kicked off in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, on Oct 22, with an aim to showcase the peaceful development of China to the world.

Fu Hua, a member of the Standing Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Guangdong Provincial Committee, urged domestic media to tell the world the good stories of China, including the stories of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and of Guangdong as a window of China's reform and opening-up.

Fu also urged them to seize the opportunity to further expand cooperation with their overseas counterparts during the forum.

Organizers planned to use the forum as a bridge that allows foreign media to better understand the world's most populous country, and for domestic media to expand foreign exchanges and cooperation.

"Guangdong, one of the country's economic powerhouses, will further boost its cultural construction and expand cultural exchanges and cooperation with the rest of the world to contribute to construction of the country's Belt and Road Initiative," Fu said during the opening ceremony on Oct 22.

Guangdong, one of the major starting points of the country's ancient Maritime Silk Road, will continue to work with the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions to explore the markets in the countries and regions related to the BRI, said Fu, former editor-in-chief of Economic Daily.

He promised Guangdong would deepen reform and open wider to the outside world for economic construction.

Hu Bangsheng, member of the Editing Affairs Committee of China Media Group, said his group is willing to strengthen and deepen cooperation with media counterparts from other nations and regions to optimize international communication, share the dividend from the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and promote the prosperity of the country's silk roads.

Khalil Shirgholami, consul general of the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Guangzhou, hoped the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road would further friendship and cooperation among countries and make the world more integrated and peaceful.

Chi Fulin, director of China Institute for Reform and Development, said the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is expected to play an important role in China's opening wider to the outside world and promote the country's BRI.

He said Guangdong should expand its cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao to help upgrade China's reform and opening-up and build a world-class bay area.

The Greater Bay Area, which includes nine cities in Guangdong province as well as the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, has a registered population of more than 70 million. It had a GDP about 1 trillion yuan ($143 billion) last year.

Guangdong governor Ma Xingrui announced the opening of the annual event, which is organized by China Media Group and the Guangdong provincial government. The first event was held in Zhuhai in 2017.

More than 300 government officials, consular officers, experts and media representatives are attending this year's event, which ends on Oct 23.